Yes he should have got Conn out there sooner. I would go further and say that he missed a couple of opportunities that he could have capitalized upon. The truth however is that all of the great heavyweights have that odd fight where they fell short of expectations. In Louis's case we are criticizing him for a fight that he won, while with most great heavyweights, we are pulling them up for a fight that they lost.
No he wasn't,but he had been defending his title every month for the last 6 months,whereas Conn hadn't fought for 4 years!
As somebody who rates Louis vary favorably, I always saw the first Godoy fight as the biggest stain on his record. Funnily enough his detractors rarely seem to seize upon it!
I had no idea that Conn hadn't fought in 4 years prior to the Louis fight. That is something to think about.
Any fighter who makes 20 consecutive defenses Joe Louis, Larry Holmes, Bernard Hopkins will find a opponent that trouble them. Joe Louis achilles heel was speedy fighters. However like any great fighter he found a way to overcome adversity and found a way to win. Joe Louis made 25 defenses served his country and no way should the Conn fight detract from his outstanding achievements.
Tough fights against top opposition where a champion comes from behind to win is what makes an ATG an ATG. Conn was a leading contender, a very quick, talented boxer. The very false game Mendoza is playing can be done with most champions. Ali did not do very well on the scorecards vs Frazier, Norton and Holmes. Meaningless statistics......remember that "statistics lie".
Both are all time greats there is no question of that. Mendoza hasn't the grey matter to successfully play a game .He postulates that Louis had the referees in his pocket ,was mob controlled, and the recipient of verdicts he didn't deserve ,even though he hasn't seen complete versions of those fights! The man is a moron. I made the thread just to get posters thoughts. Louis is my number 4 all time heavyweight ,I don't rank him as high as most because I think the 3 I rate above him would beat him H2H, but no one admires him more than I. Great fighter, great champ, fine man.
